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Hopefully by the time it comes to Linux they will have worked all the bugs out (and not introduced new ones). The game was so busted up it was straight up unplayable for a significant chunk of people when it first came out. Mostly playable now, but still with a lot of bugs.

I got the iPad version the day it came out and it is a really nice refinement on the original Baldur's Gate, though the touch controls are some what imprecise. The game is not as unstable as people claim, in fact I have yet to see a crash or a significant bug. Overhaul did good work and they seem dedicated to continuing that with frequent updates. That being said it is not an HD remake, the graphics are very much the same as BG always had and today that looks grainy especially when zoomed in, it is not all it can be but it is still one hell of a game.

I look forward to the OS X version coming out, and of course Linux once they have that release ready. I also hear that the Android release is progressing well. Cross platform gaming is really having a great year.

It is also nice to see that they are having good success with the release so far, on the iPad the game has been in the top five on most regional app stores since release which for a 9.99$ game is really great to see. It of course, self servingly, also means that there is a greater chance that Overhaul will get to make a Baldur's Gate 3 (they are apparently already working on BG II: EE), as well as remakes of the other Infinite Engine games (oh please let there be a Planescape: Torment: EE in my future, it would top off the recent announcement of a spiritual sequel coming out).

I wonder, if it might be distributed nice DRM free via GOG? They sell all the original BG versions...

I believe the deal Overhaul signed restricts them from doing that, at least initially. I wrote them to ask but have not yet gotten an official response.

As for Linux getting things delayed, that is just business. Linux is a tiny market compared to the other players and without interest having been as great on the other platforms no deal to bring it to Linux would have been signed. It is hard to justify the investment for a cut of what is less than 1% of the desktop market. It is comparably much easier to make the business case for doing so after you have seen huge success on your initial investments, if it doesn't make home the investment then it is at least covered by higher than expected sales on other platforms.

Aside that Linux is really hard to support given that there is no standard environment nor a standard SDK to develop again (LSB.. please, I must laugh). No standard deployment framework (though Steam now being present does address this). Typically the popular distros change every 6-12 months often breaking various important APIs. And oh yes a lot of Linux people are really militant about wanting source code, something you cannot provide so you write off a significant number of sales right there. Really Linux users have an undue sense of entitlement and do a lot of things to make life hard for ISVs.

Aside that Linux is really hard to support given that there is no standard environment nor a standard SDK to develop again (LSB.. please, I must laugh). No standard deployment framework (though Steam now being present does address this). Typically the popular distros change every 6-12 months often breaking various important APIs. And oh yes a lot of Linux people are really militant about wanting source code, something you cannot provide so you write off a significant number of sales right there. Really Linux users have an undue sense of entitlement and do a lot of things to make life hard for ISVs.

Mostly wrong or misrepresented. SDL supplies most of what a game developer needs, and APIs do not break every six months (how on earth would anything work?). I have run games from 1997 on a modern Linux machine with little to no trouble, which can be problematic on Windows (which is part of the the reason why this game is getting a re-release, as well as to be ported to mobile platforms). Multiple distros are not that hard to support, this is simply a myth.

Simple point of order - the only thing that is not stable is the KERNEL API!

With the militant comment, well, I would say Linux users tend to be much nicer to independent vendors as they are much quicker to help out or be patient with technical hurdles. We do like and support developers which do go that extra mile and release source code, but I have seen very little people demanding source code for a game on launch. When a game gets a little long in the tooth, well, then it is idiocy not to release the code, barring any external legal factors.

Steam is already entering a crowded market with services like Desura, Gameolith, and the USC already offering modern distribution methods on Linux. We will also be getting IndieCity soon as well. Plus, you can release games using something like the Humble Store widget. This is not really a large problem.

Might be interested in grabbing this one when it comes out though. Support local developers and all that rot.